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Volun, Kingdom of the Sun
The secluded Kingdom of Volun takes up the eastern coast of the Atheria continent, sharing the land with two of the world's largest kingdoms. It is separated (and protected) from Kah'Alune by a large grove of ancient trees along the western border. The trees are so large and thick that it seems nearly impenetrable and only gives way to road connected pathways when protective wards on Volun's side of the wall is dispelled. Established in ancient times, it always had a monarchy but slowly transitioned to a constitutional monarchy with elections held every 5 years. With a large population of around 1.5 million citizens, the kingdom has its share of large cities and a well balanced economy with a wide variety of industries. Volun has traditionally been highly religious and highly indifferent and neutral to the affairs of other lands. However it was only until recent history that Volun completely barred itself from outsiders where before it welcomed outsiders especially those with strong faith to come and go. As mysteriously as the doors to Volun were closed, it has now reopened. While the people in the Kingdom of the Sun are now rather ignorant of foreign customs and people in general, they are friendly and hospitable. Population The kingdom is stretched along the eastern coast beside Kah’Alune. Although the north is harsher and crops don’t grow nearly as well, due to the existence and reverence towards Aesir Island, most big hubs and cities are north including the capital city of Sunspire. Towns and villages start declining in governance and prosperity the further south they are. Fortunately due to the religious and proud nature of the people of Volun, there doesn’t exist any large slums or major crime hubs. However poverty has always been a problem in the south and has only become worse in recent years with the absence of a monarch. Of the 1.5 million projected citizens of Volun, nearly a quarter of them live in or around Sunspire. Politics Volun is governed by a constitutional monarchy with a king or queen head of state and a ruling class of 5 elected officials. Volun has three provinces divided primarily based on landscape; the mountainous north named the Sky province, the lush green plains in central Volun named the Rose and the southern deserts named the Sun). Provinces have their elected governor and each municipal (city, town, village etc) with an elected mayor. The elected council rules the kingdom on a day-to-day basis, legislating new laws and policies as well as directing government owned businesses and military exercises. The Crown holds important reserve powers that can be used without the consultation of a second party. This includes pushing or vetoing legislation, dismissing an elected council member, dissolving the council and instating an absolute monarchy until an election refills the seats, and calling martial law. While final decision on legislation has traditionally been a common role for the ruling monarch, other powers have been very limited and held in reserve by the constitution. Only in exceptional circumstances is the monarch allowed to enact any of the powers and it is enforced by public pressure and the military itself which swears to the constitution and the people of Volun, not the government. Currently, the elected council has been suspended following years of corruption and regicide. Princess Persia now governs the recovering kingdom within the constitution along with the help of the Paladns.' ' ' Religion Worship of all 29 deities are observed throughout Volun, with the worship of the more malicious deities geared towards begging favour in return for sanctuary from their wrath. Within recent years, however, the worship of Penael, Goddess of the Sky, becoming more dominant and used as a way to oppress the people. After the rebellion and reinstatement of the rightful head of state, Penael worship has calmed down slightly but still has a strong presence among the populace. There is an ancient island in the north with a natural spire that reaches beyond the clouds. Dubbed Aesir Island, or simply Aesir, it was popular for anyone of faith or seeking miracles to make pilgrimage up the spire and pray at the small temple atop. The climb takes about a week and can be very treacherous depending on weather. People who have been up the spire tend to come back feeling enlightened and invigorated in both mind and body. It is unknown if it is true divine blessing or simply a placebo effect. In recent years with the corruption of the elected council and subsequent oppression of the people, pilgrimage up to the spire tip was for a long time limited to nobility. After the rebellion, it was discovered that the island had become incredibly corrupted by blood magic. Though the worst of it has been cleansed, pilgrimage is now closed until the high priests and Paladins can purge the sacred land completely of corruption. Culture & History Volun has a history of being highly religious but indifferent to the disputes between different beliefs and reverence. The people of Volun are very proud and with the strong faith of the kingdom combined with its heavenly appearance, they border on arrogance. It is a wide belief in the kingdom that Volun is a divine place, consecrated and blessed by the Gods. It is a highly held belief that if one lived a life devoted to the Gods and made the pilgrimage up Aesir, they may join the deity of their reverence. Despite this strong belief, ages of corruption and systematic oppression had dulled the idea that anyone could ascend to the heavens. Though the old ways are returning and people now find hope in their reverence, there is still a lingering feeling of spiritual inferiority compared to the higher classes. Though it is less reinforced by government dictation, it'll take years before people get used to believing that they too can join their deity after death. Centuries ago, Volun used to be open to the rest of the world but as the elected council became corrupt and started taking over the absolute rule of the kingdom, it has been sealed off by magic lasting three monarchs. The kingdom is now reopened - the elected council stated that it is now time for Volun to share its wealth and wisdom of the divine with the rest of the world. In truth, it is because the princess had escaped and they fear she will find sympathizers to her cause. In order to search her out, they needed to network and perhaps gain support from other kingdoms to find her and finish her off before a rebellion is sparked. Fortunately, they were overthrown and though Persia now sits on her throne, she had decided to keep the kingdom open. As of now, Volun is a rather welcoming place, despite the people coming off a bit ignorant of the rest of the world and authority figures a bit cautious of outsiders. The northern part of the country is beautiful and well-kept, clean and orderly. As one travels down south there is more of the old culture, seeing more temples of Gods aside from Penael and people who still practice their religion with a strict regiment, wanting to ascend mortality as the olden days. The north is now looking to the south as examples of returning to an older and free-er era. Despite the changes happening to the kingdom, it retains a very sophisticated love for arts and music. Many of Langar's greatest artists study Volunian work, whether it be paintings or poems. Up until recently, Volunian work was hard to come by outside of the kingdom and still is very valuable. They consider their food as part of their 'art' and the cuisine from Volun is presented much more delicately and eaten as such even in poor families. Though silk is not exclusive to the kingdom, many of the best silks are Volunian with fine-spun fabrics with vibrant colours and patterns that show off the cultural style of the kingdom. One of the most prominent and highly respected noble houses is responsible for many of the masterful works that have made it out of Volunian borders. The Sā-Tsukushi family has pioneered many of the methods in pottery, painting and even literature and are also the first noble family to leave Volun since the reopening of their borders in order to share their art and culture with the rest of Langar. Foreign Affairs Volun has a bit of a 'holier than thou' attitude when it comes to their view on everyone else so despite sharing a continent with the world’s two largest kingdoms who have been in quiet conflict with each other, they remain mostly indifferent. However, they know it's in their best interest to keep Kah'Alune happy so they don't have an angry next-door neighbor. That said, the simple fact that they NEED to be wary of Kah'Alune to be a good enough reason for them to try and support Feydore under the table. This may or may not change in the future, but as of now they are neutral while trying to play a balancing game with the two kingdoms in order to keep both ‘beasts’ distracted and making sure neither get too powerful.' ' Military There is traditionally one military force in Volun made of the Paladins. Established at the same time as the crown stepped back and installed the current elected council and the democracy it brought, the Paladins were created as a safe-guard against corruption and insurance that no matter what happens that the people of Volun would be protected to the best of their abilities. There is, however, a separate force dedicated to the safety of the ruling class. The ancient Order of the Rose originally served as the military force of Volun, dedicated completely to the ruling monarch. However, with the new government and direction of the kingdom, the Order has become an elite bodyguard service still loyal to the rulers of the kingdom but no authority outside of the confines of the palace and government buildings and residences. In general, Volun has a small military force due to its landscape being naturally protective of the kingdom in addition to ancient magical wards. While the military is small compared to most other kingdoms in Langar, it is extremely disciplined and skilled. Paladins of Volun Volun favors holy warriors beyond all else. Even the lowest ranking soldier is expected to know healing prayers and obtaining a higher rank comes with the expectation of furthering one’s faith. Despite this, the military had been completely separated from any religious organization for centuries even despite the corruption of the government. There has been noted attempts to instill a general reverence for the Goddess of the Sky in the military but due to the practical nature of the military there has been little progress and little to gain from the effort. Soldiers from Volun are referred to as Paladins regardless of rank or department. Being allowed to serve is a privilege and one is expected to lead an almost monk-like life, dedicated to prayer and service though are not barred from enjoying alcohol and having relations or a full on family (Though due to their dedication to their station, it's rare and those who do have a family tend to create generations of Paladins with their children enlisting to service). They have been rumored to wield strong holy magic focusing on imbuing their weapons and armor to aid them in battle. Because of the isolation of the kingdom for years however, the Paladins of Volun have seen very little large-scale combat. They have morphed from a large legion formed in defense of the kingdom from ancient Kah’Alune would-be invaders to a smaller force of experts in monster-slaying and guerrilla warfare with bandits. More recently, they have started to scuffle with what seems like a growing rebellion. Paladins serve both as an army as well as a rarely seen navy, patrolling the turbulent waters that extend further beyond the shores of Volun in small, speedy ships able to dodge and navigate the treacherous, obstacle ridden waters. All in all, the paladins are dedicated and loyal to one thing: the safety and peace of the kingdom. They don’t play politics and do not swear to the crown or the elected council. They will keep the peace and rid of anything that threatens it, making them both a problem and an asset to the elected council. Their current commander since AT 140 is Taizen, a stoic horned equine Paladin of mysterious origin who seem to have been around since the beginning of the kingdom itself. Order of the Rose Originally a bodyguard service for government officials, the Order was to be kept small and their only jurisdiction within the walls of the Palace of the Sun and personal dwellings of officials. Outside those walls, all protection services are placed in the hands of Paladins. They, unlike the Paladins, swear fealty to the Crown and council. During the corruption, they expanded in numbers quickly and took over as the main military and policing force and were used by the elected council to oppress the populace. Since the rebellion, many had fallen in battle and those in high command were executed for treason while some managed to flee the kingdom. Only the several Knights who defected were kept on as guards while the remaining lower ranking Knights were jailed or stripped of their titles and belongings as reparations. The last leader of the Order was Gough, a massive monster of a man who was recently brought to justice by bounty hunters. Currently, High Commander Taizen oversees the rebuilding of the Order and is looking for someone worthy of reviving the Order of the Roses and bring its prestige back. Geography and Meteorology Volun has a very diverse landscape. From snow-capped mountains and blizzards in the northern tip of the kingdom to the deserts and sandstorms to the south, the people of Volun are tough and adaptable. Between the two extremes however, there are beautiful rolling hills, forests and grassland perfect for both an abundant wildlife as well as cattle. The long coastline makes for a very constant temperature without too much fluctuation. The most stunning about the scenery in Volun, however, is the clouds. It is constantly cloudy in the kingdom with enough breaks in the clouds for sunlight to get through and help with crops. The clouds are characteristically fluffy and billowy, giving the whole kingdom a surreal heavenly look almost as soon as you cross the border from Kah’Alune. The massive wall of ancient trees that divide the kingdoms seem to divide even the sky as very little of the odd looking clouds peak past Volun. The clouds seem to gather more around Aesir Island, feeding the superstitions about the holy place. ' ' National Flower - The Spirit Rose Extremely rare due to the difficulty of cultivating and harvesting, the Spirit Rose is a beautiful solemn looking flower. From a distant it may be hard to spot because of its translucent petals. Upon inspection up close however, the pedals seem to have a pearl-like shimmer - white with a colourful shine that resembles the look of a pearl. Most known cultivations of this plant is within the Royal Garden. If harvested correctly, it makes for a fragrant and delicious tea known for its natural sweetness and creates a pink looking liquid. However, harvesting incorrectly causes the plant to wilt and disintegrate before a tea can be made - the dust not even potent enough for a low-grade brew. Some imitation Spirit Rose teas can be made with pink rosebuds combined with dried rose honey. There used to be a few tea shops with renowned tea masters that could harvest and make tea from this flower but with the corruption of the government, the tea was only to be served to the ruling class, destroying the business for this tea outside of the capital and the art of preparing this tea has declined. There were rumors that despite it not being law to only serve Spirit Flower to nobility, Spirit Rose groves were destroyed by thugs hired by corrupt officials if the owner insisted on selling to general public. This unfortunately is making it very hard for the art of cultivation and brewing of this flower to be revived despite mass efforts by the new rightful government. There is a little bit of progress but it will take a long time before the Spirit Rose would return to its former prosperity. ' Category:Nations